


For Her

by OwnerOfAllTears



Series: Victoria Shelby [3]
Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Abandonment, Angst, Fluff, Gen, Not That Sad, Siblings, very cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:26:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26512126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OwnerOfAllTears/pseuds/OwnerOfAllTears
Summary: Everyone knew this day would come. They just didn’t think I’d be so soon
Series: Victoria Shelby [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1802149
Kudos: 18





	For Her

**Author's Note:**

> Just a lil drabble

The silence that had taken over the household was absolute, only broken by the creaking of the fire and the wind sneaking in through a crooked window pane that they couldn’t afford to fix. Three young men, their faces pale and full of worry, occupied the dimly lit room, the second eldest looking over a bassinet where a bundle of blankets laid peacefully asleep; his hand protectively placed over her tummy to check her breathing. The baby’s tiny fist clutched the ragged covers and her tongue was adorably trapped between her lips, features angelical and clear from distress. Blissfully unaware of the blow the family had received.

Arthur Shelby Sr. had never distinguished himself for being a decent father, nor even a decent man for that matter. He could hardly be categorized as a parent at all, for none of his children could even recall one memory of him being loving, or caring, or fatherly towards them. The Shelby kids had grown up having only each other and their mother for support. But those feeble foundations of their existences crumbled like a house of cards when she left, merely a month after birthing her youngest daughter, plagued by demons only she could see.

Suddenly it was one deadbeat father as head of a family of seven, including a toddler and a newborn. Shelby senior was quick for once to solve a problem, placing another woman in the household to look after everything his wife used to do and couldn’t be bothered to do so himself. That way he could dedicate his time to his own devices, leaving the task of feeding the family upon the shoulders of his eldest sons. But it seemed that even that snub wasn’t enough in his cruel heart.

~

Polly knew something was up that morning when Arthur Sr. picked up Victoria from her crib, thing he hadn’t done since the day she was born. For a moment all he did was stare, slightly rocking the baby in his hands; weighing Vicky as if he was measuring her worth, like a piglet in the fair. His gaze was fogged by the smoke coming from his cigarette, forcing him to squint his eyes as he placed his last child in Polly’s arms and blurted out a rather odd and suspicious sentence “ _She’s just like her mother. Too much of that and the world will step on her_ ” The already cold gaze seemed to harden, jaw clenched as he picked his coat from the hook and walked out the door

That was the last time they saw him.

No one suspected a thing, the family having grown accustomed to his unannounced departures and long absences. But Polly Shelby knew better than the devil himself, and just one look into those malicious eyes had told her the heartless man’s true plans, and she had every intention to step right on his way and not give him the easy way out. As soon as everyone was home that night she shoved the kids into Arthur’s care and fled, clutching her coat tightly around her frame, clothes billowing into the howling wind of a cold March night.

The hours had ticked by slowly, minutes dripping away in a stream of worries. Having to put Ada and Finn to bed was an straining task to say the least, and the fight Victoria put up to fall asleep had been so great that the brothers resorted to leave her in her bassinet in the kitchen, not daring to move the girl an inch and disturb her frail slumber. Right now the soft puffing of her breathing was the sweetest sound in the world.

The hands of the clock had just struck midnight when the front door opened with a loud thump, and the three boys flinched, bracing themselves for the crying and wailing to come, yet not a peep came from the baby. They released their held breaths, but their relief was short lived. Polly stormed into the kitchen, hair in disarray from the wind and a fiery expression twisting her features. You could almost see the smoke emanating from her ears as she rummaged through the cabinets to find a bottle of whiskey and a glass.

 _“Well, he’s done it. He’s finally done it. Just like every man of his kind, he put himself and his cock ahead of his family”_ The first glass was downed in one gulp, and soon a second followed _“Can’t say I didn’t see it coming. I’m surprised he stuck around for so long. But now he’s off to chase a skirt. Or running from a badge, I couldn’t care less”_

Polly dropped in the table a handful of crumpled bills and a few coins. It wasn’t a fortune, but it was probably more than all of them together owned at the moment _“I stole this from his pocket when I asked for a farewell hug. That dumbass. I’ll stretch it as much as I can but I don’t do miracles”_ A heavy sigh escaped her parted lips, the stress from the day adding years on her still young and attractive features _“From now on, everything that happens to this family depends on us”_

Her words weighed on the brothers with a burden greater than the world itself, everyone reacting differently to the load put on their shoulders. John looked dumbstruck, his still lingering youth keeping him from truly understanding the meaning of those words, but catching enough to understand that they were fucked, completely and utterly fucked, his boyish face draining from colour at the idea. Arthur’s disappointment was obvious in his face, finding it hard to believe that the man whom he had looked up to his whole life could do such despicable thing. Only the walls of his room would ever know that in days to come he’d spend every free moment by the window hoping to see his father walk down the muddy streets of Watery Lane, with his old bowler hat and dusty black coat.

And Tommy? He looked like a boiler about to explode, hands balled into fists so tight his knuckles were slowly turning white and his nails left indents in his palms.

How could he just easily leave behind his children? Less than two months had passed since his wife’s death, and he still had two children to raise, one still too young to even recognize him as a dad. But perhaps the little ones were better that way. A man like that was no role model, and they were the living proof of that. But now fate had given the Shelbys a chance to do things better, to give their youngest the chances they never had. Finn and Victoria wouldn’t even know his name, and they would surely grow up to be better people than any of the other siblings ever could.

With this conviction placating his fury, Tommy stood up and grabbed his baby sister in his arms, rocking her gently from side to side to soothe her. Her chubby hands grabbed fistfuls of his shirt; face snuggled into the warmth of her brother’s chest. She was so small, so innocent, definitely taking after her mother; for there was no way this angel could be in any way or form similar to the man they once called father, but now he was just a bastard, a stain in their past filled with nothing good. But this darling girl, who had stolen her brothers’ hearts the moment she opened her eyes, this was the best thing to ever come from Arthur Shelby Sr. and Tommy knew he’d be willing to tear the world down to pieces and build it back up for her.

 _“Don’t fret Polly. We’ll be okay. I’ll make sure of that”_ Thomas sat by his brothers, with Victoria peacefully nestled in his lap. Arthur reached to touch her, her fingers immediately wrapping around his much larger index. Just staring at her had a soothing effect on him; made him feel at peace. He didn’t have children of his own yet and knew little to nothing about kids, but he’d be damned if he didn’t try to be a father for his baby siblings.

The stillness of the scene was broken by a little coo coming from the bundle of blankets. Vicky was awake, batting her long eyelashes and staring up at her brothers with the innocence and curiosity only housed in children’s eyes. Tommy’s eyes had glassed with tears as he lifted the child and placed a kiss on her forehead, lips lingering in the touch to keep them from trembling.

He couldn’t know what future held for his family, but whatever it was, he’d make it right. Right for Ada, for Finn. But especially for Victoria. From now own, everything he did, good or bad, was for her.


End file.
